Nocturnal grandparents?! / True friends, reconnection, appreciation, diets, and nutrition

Last night, I reconnected with Ryan on FB - that was pretty good, especially since he can relate to me about recent events. I told him to take his time getting back to me if he needed to, and we agreed that we'd missed each other. Vanessa buzzed me on MSN this afternoon while I was making Spanish Rice for lunch, so we talked about expensive dieting / healthy eating and nutrition advice / losing weight / my not getting sick often / her being unable to eat out while she's in town this weekend / her getting a new computer from Memory Express when she was here last. At least that diet isn't a scam, as she knows a female sailor who's done it more than once! I know it sucks, though - but if she wants to lose 80 pounds, she hopes the expense isn't wasted! Hopefully, it works for her!

Tonight, I really wanted some "true friend" time, so called Chinese Eric. He said he'd been going to take a shower, but I didn't mind delaying that unless it was urgent! (his mom had been doing the "dreaded Asian mom yell," haha) We discussed his going on Facebook just to look at pictures of baby Ayler ("he's cute"), SERVANTS, Awana and the time commitment needed (of course he doesn't want to disappoint people by showing up only occasionally - with his situation!), piano talent / rap, gardening / tomatoes, Father's Day, Grandma's dementia / lots of family changes recently, parenting, maybe hanging out with baby on Friday (if I don't hear from him by then, I'll know he can't), grandparents, long-term care homes, difficult decisions, my appreciation of his laptop gift / his appreciation of my mailing Vancouver postcards and Christmas cards (for the "HOME" feeling!) when he was in Hong Kong, Nathan's relative "student freedom" in London compared to the Macau casino job in HK, and more. I got away with calling him "darling" only because he thought the word for PATERNAL grandparents was "NOCTURNAL," but at least he knew that didn't sound right. Hey, he always has me as backup since I won't make fun of him for not knowing things! "Maternal" is at least easier since it also starts with an M, I agreed.